CAPABLE: An aggregate process planning system for integrated product development

One of the most complex problems in the integrated design and manufacture of products is the meaningful and rapid conversion of early product specifications into manufacturing and assembly process requirements. The theoretical background to the research described herein is the definition of a new, time-based process planning architecture that consists of three levels corresponding to aggregate, management and detailed planning. The Concurrent Assembly and Process Assessments BLocks for Engineering manufacture (CAPABLE) is an aggregate process planning tool-kit which is designed to support the integrated product development process from its early stages. The main functions of CAPABLE relate to; the identification of production technology requirements, process and equipment selection, production route generation, evaluation of factory configuration and the rapid evaluation of what-if scenarios concerning product configuration and processing options. An initial testing phase has been completed in close collaboration with the industrial partner with very encouraging results.